Whiffletree.



PATENTED JAN; 14,1908! w. GRAPE. WHIFPLETREE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nveul'or No. 876,711. PATENITED JAN.14,1908

W. GRAPE. WHIFPLETRBE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1907.

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AIM/4m 4:32;?

WILLIAM GRAFE, or VIOLA, IDAHO.

WHIFFLETREE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed May 131 1907. Serial No. 373.432-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRAFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Viola, in the county of Latah, State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVhiffletrees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in whiffle-trees, and it has for its object to provide a whiffle-tree of novel construction, and including a wooden stock and a reinforcing truss member.

The details of construction will appear in the course of the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, like characters of reference designating similar parts throughout the several views, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a whiffle tree constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

In the art as ordinarily practiced, it has been customary, in order to attain the requisite strength for heavy work, to construct the stock of the whiffle-tree of very hard wood. For this reason devices of this class are unreasonably expensive, and the cheaper grade of articles, that are constructed of lighter wood are generally unreliable. The present invention seeks therefore to provide a whiflie-tree which shall be strong, and which shall at the same time be inexpensive.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the. numeral 1 designates the stock of the whiffie-tree which may be of any desired wood. light or hard and which is reinforced by a truss rod 2. Centrally of the stock 1 is mounted a clip 3, which is formed to surround said stock and has a rearwardly projecting portion 4 bent at its ends to form upper and lower inner recesses 5, and a centrally located recess 6, within which the truss rod 2 seats. The clip 3 constructed as above de scribed thus constitutes a spacing member for the truss rod 2, the latter being inclined on each side of said clip as shown more particularly in Fig. 1 and having its end portions embedded in the stock 1 and bent at their extremities and again forced into said stock as indicated by the numeral 7 and shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Surrounding the ends of the stock 1 are clips 8 which carry theusual inturned hooks 9.

The device is'adapted as a swingle-tree, or a double-tree, or as the equalizing tree from which swingle-trees or double-trees may be suspended, in which last named function the recesses 5 serve to receive the suspension means. 7

The device embodied in the present invention is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and practical and efficient in use.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and efficient means are provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements herein shown and described are well adapted to serve the functions set forth, it isobvious that various minor changes may be made in the proportions, shape and arrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

A device of the type set forth, comprising a wooden stock, a clip secured thereto at a central point, said clip being provided with a rearwardly projecting portion formed 'with convolutions affording a centrally located recess on the outer face of said clip and upper and lower recesses on the inner face of said clip and a truss rod having its ends secured to the ends of said stock, said truss rod projecting rearwardly and at a central point engaging in said central recess, said upper and lower recesses being adapted to receive suspension means for said stock.

In testimony whereoi, I' afi ix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM GRAFE. 

